The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1887-03-20
made q motion to resist.

sand then the ceremony of marriage was
read. l made the responses on my part in
a voice which hardly seemed my own. I
could hear the woman's voice with diff
Guilty. | placed ring, which was thrust
into my hand, on her finger, and never did
a beuediction seem so out of place as that
which followed. And then my wife-I 81
most smiled even to think of the name
was led away, and l was left alone with the
men. Without a word they now proceed
ed to unloosen nay coat and barring my arm,
after binding me to chair, branded upon
me with hot iron a strange mark with the
date over it. The suffering which this
caused well nigh overcame my wrought up
nerves, but stood it as best could. My
coat was then put on me and the spokes-
man said:
"You havo served us well, young man,
you shall be rewarded You have been
branded with mark, and that too has
been placed upon the arm of her who is
now your wife. You will probably never
know her name, but in after years if you
chance upon woman with this mark you
will know her 10 be your wife. 1t is
needless for you to attempt to discover
who weare or why this ceremony has been
performed, for that you can never discover.
Your reward for your share in it shall come
later"
"When he had finished speaking was
again bIindfolded, but not bound, and led
to the side of the. ship Some one placed
cup in my hand, and with Y GU have
been faint, strengthen yourself with this;
you need it.
l was persuaded to drink the wine it
contained. But the wine was drugged,
as soon discovered for no sooner had
reached the row boat than an overpowering
drowsiness seized me and in a moment
my limbs relaxed into deep sleep.
"When came to it was broad daylight
and | lay ON the ground not far from my
little school house on the steep cliff My
head was rather confused, but | quickly
remembered what had passed, and a
pouch, which lay by me, proved it had
been no dream. [ went to my room aud
examined it. 1t contained large sum of
money and a small piece of paper on
which the words were written. "This is
your reward"
GAS soon as my strength permitted made
a trip along the shore in the vain attempt
to find c.ew of where | had been, but
could learn nothing. Inquiry failed to
bring ous information as TO any strange
vessel seen off the shore or of strange
men on land, If it were not for the
money | had in my possession and the
brand on my arm, would fain have be-
lIeved the whole business a creation of
my own imagination. But these two
things proved beyond doubt the reality of
what had been. Ii had been no dream, it
was true. A week passed by but told
no one of my adventure. | kept it to
myself but determined secretly to make
a widespread search for the woman who
had so mysteriousy become my wife.
But, alas, my plans were overthrown by
bitter fate; an ending unlocked for came,
ga little over week after the event the
quiet town was aroused by the finding of
a body on the beach, Accidents were rare
then and when death occurred, even If it
were mere drowning, the towns people
were easily excited. And then the inform
alton that the body was the victim of
murder lent ardor to those who learned
the news. A crowd quickly went to
where the body had been found and
among them |, out of curiosity to see what
the sea gave up to the land again.
s'As we neared the spot we grew little
quieter and especially so because we saw
it was the body of woman which lay
stretched out on the bright sands. Why
ii was never knew, but strange sensa-
my eyes fell on mass of golden hair,
which fell in long, soft locks over the
shoulders and mingled with the yellow
sand in beautiful harmony, Where had l
seen such hair before? Where had the
glorious color become so fixed in my
memory? And now when l approached
the body / involuntary sank on my knees
by It's side and gazed upon the sweet
features in a nameless horror. 1t had,
indeed, been murder, for there over the
heart was a savage wound where knife
had taken away the life which filled the
being. And the figure, | knew | recog-
nized, and then, teariug wide the sleeve,
| saW-YeS, there was the brand with the
date and ALI just that which | had upon
my own ann, stamped in black upon the
soft. white skin.
'.They said | tainted. suppose did.
know fell across the breast of her who
was my wife and whose face [ saw for
the first time, and | cried aloud-for in
my heart of hearts l believe | loved her
then as now"
Kind friends carried me away and
brought me to my home. telling each other
the sight was too horrible for me- | let
them think so and told them not of who
or what she was to me. No clew was
ever found as to her identity-eyen l
could have told very lttle-and soon she
was forgotten except by one--l went to
the funeral and mourned alone, and quiet
ly they buried her 10 the old churchyard
by the sea, where summer breeze and
winter storm caressed the spot which
held her forever more.
II remained only short time in that
seaport town. AS quietly and as quickly
as conld went away among new scenes
and unknown faces. l prospered. gntl
increased age rendered me worthless for
this world, and BAD investments made my
money disappear, and now my boy you
see what | am, lone old man. Ihave
not often thought of that scene in early